Espero (The Silver Ships Book 6)

by Jucha, S. H.

  “You have a quarter-hour of each patient in each state, under sedation and off. Cordelia or Miranda can display each of these sequences whenever you wish. Each SADE will record your comments for any sequence and display those comments in the future with the matching sequence.”

  “Exactly what are we looking at?” asked Billings, his nose centimeters from the display, as if it would allow him to see more detail.

  “You’re watching a recording of this teenager’s brain activity,” Terese explained. “The blue is the brain matter; the yellow are signals sent along the pathways and across the synaptic junctions.”

  “Seriously? Not representations but actual signals?” Stratford asked. “Can the projection’s timeline be accelerated or slowed?”

  “Express the rate change,” Cordelia said.

  “One-fiftieth normal speed,” Stratford requested.

  “Look at that,” Billings marveled, when the impulses, instead of a blur of yellow covering the brain matter, became a kaleidoscope of streaks shooting across various portions of the brain. “Too bad we can’t examine the electrical activity more closely.”

  “That’s up to you, Ser,” Terese said. “Manipulate the holo-vid as you see fit.” She walked up to the projection, placed her hands in the view, enlarged the image, and rotated the view 90 degrees clockwise. She looked at Billings and nodded at the holo-vid.

  Billings stuck his hand in the image and immediately traced a series of signals. “Stop the playback. Back it up slowly. There,” he said and started a quiet discussion with Stratford, who nodded his head in agreement.

  “Can we get two of these projections?” Billings asked. “We need to compare the comatose and alert activity of each patient side-by-side.”

  “Midday meal will be here shortly,” Terese announced. “I will have a second holo-vid installed soon after.”

  Once the scientists had their second holo-vid, they made rapid progress. It required both SADEs to independently control the two playbacks as the scientists examined an aspect of the brain in one state, playing intensively with one display, and calling out observations to have the other stage manipulated in kind. Stratford focused on the alert stages; Billings examined the comatose states.

  Both biochemists became excited when they spotted a consistent uptake by two particular portions of the brain, the cerebrum’s frontal lobe and the limbic area. But both were disappointed when they viewed patients, who had been sedated for longer and longer periods of time and showed ever-decreasing activity levels.

  “This doesn’t make sense,” Billings said. “If the body is processing out the hallucinogen and the limbic system’s dopamine and serotonin levels are leveling off, what’s creating the unusual withdrawal symptoms?”

  “I was afraid of that. It’s not the drug itself; it’s the agent in the delivery solution. That’s why it isn’t delivered in pill form … a med-injector is required to administer the dose,” Stratford said. He didn’t expect his comment to draw as much attention as he suddenly received.

  “Explain,” Terese demanded.

  “Toyo wanted a fast uptake … something that would bring first-time users back quickly … ‘no slow addiction rate,’ he said,” Stratford said, his words stumbling out.

  “So what did you do?” Billings asked, eyeing Stratford closely.

  “To greatly magnify the brain’s demand for a second dosage, I employed a modified section of viral RNA,” Stratford said.

  “You gene-modified their brain neurons?” Terese cried, advancing on Stratford. But she was blocked by Deirdre, who had to forcibly detain her.

  “No, no … I didn’t touch the neurons’ DNA,” Stratford yelled, raising his hands in defense. “It’s modified … designed to be picked up by presynaptic cells. It’s a small piece of RNA that uses the neuron’s resources to produce a neurotransmitter mimic. But, it appears to produce a more aggressive response than I intended.”

  “You had better hope that the New Terrans incarcerate you until you’re a useless old man. If not, you will spend the rest of your adult life fearing every Haraken’s path you cross.” Terese said. She pulled free of Deirdre and stalked to the far side of the lab.

  Then Terese paused, spun about, and said, “Wait. Why wouldn’t the nanites in our Harakens’ bloodstream sweep those mimic molecules from the brain? Because the visitors and our youth have the same withdrawal symptoms no matter how long we delayed waking them.”

  “As a neurotransmitter, the molecules would be transported back into the presynaptic cells, and the RNA strand would continue to produce the mimics. In a comatose state, that production would be minimal. Waking the patient increases blood flow and neuron activity, and production ramps up immediately,” Stratford said.

  “So we have two targets to attack … the mimic, when it’s outside the neurons in the synaptic gap, and the strand, inside the neurons. Show me the RNA strand,” Billings ordered.

  That’s when the scientists discovered another asset of the SADEs. Stratford opened his reader to examine his strand in a 3D depiction.

  Miranda tapped into the reader and projected the structure into the holo-vid.

  Billings tapped Stratford’s shoulder and pointed to Miranda’s display.

  “Yes,” Stratford said excitedly and scrambled over to the holo-vid. “Now to neutralize the mimic, which is created in this section of the strand, we need a short carbon chain.”

  Stratford and Billings called out their choices for the molecule’s design at the atomic level, arguing with each other until they reached a final version, nodding their heads in agreement.

  “That’s it. I’m sure of it,” Stratford said with finality.

  “Your assurances are as heartwarming as the deep dark,” Terese replied.

  Billings and Stratford repeated their actions to create a molecule to permanently bind with the RNA strands inside the neuron. Terese added her wisdom, helping the biochemists design a compound that would pass more easily through the neurons’ membranes.

  When the designs of both molecules were complete, Billings turned to Stratford and said, “Let’s back up here. I’d like to know the results of your clinical trials.”

  When Stratford demurred to respond, Billings pressed. “You said earlier that you didn’t get to see the long-term effects on users, but you had to run human trials … if not for your own ego, then for Toyo’s proof.”

  “It wasn’t like I had a choice. Toyo insisted on it,” Stratford declared loudly.

  “But how did you get away with it?” Billings continued, not letting Stratford deviate from the subject. “I didn’t hear anything in the media about teenagers with the sort of symptoms that Terese has documented.”

  Guilt was written across Stratford’s face, and it attracted the animosity of those around him, especially from Terese.

  Unable to maintain his silence in the face of the display, Stratford blurted out, “Toyo runs an orphanage. He uses it as a recruiting base … says you can never start them too young.”

  Stratford flinched as Terese closed on him, but the medical specialist found her way blocked this time by Miranda. “As much as I would love to see this man punished, this very moment, dear. I’m afraid it must wait.”

  “We will need the name of that orphanage,” Terese ground out through clenched teeth and marched out of the lab. The thought that the scientist had tested his insidious drug on children, whose lives were entrusted to the care of people who owed allegiance to a man such as Toyo, made Terese’s blood boil. In her life, she never thought she would experience the desire to kill another human being.

  * * *

  Terese sent to Alex, as she stalked back to her cabin.

  Alex replied, halting his conversation with Maria, Tatia, and Renée.

  Maria, who recognized the signs of Alex’s private comms, got up to make thé. She had developed a taste for the Méridien drink while she was president, and Renée made sure that Maria had a continuous supply.

&
nbsp; Terese sent.

  Alex replied,

 

 

 

 

 

  Alex came out of his chair, a growl in his throat. Tatia and the twins scanned for danger, and Renée kept careful watch on her partner.

  Hearing Alex’s reaction, Terese made an effort to calm her own thoughts. There was only one other person on Haraken whose anger rose above her own when it came to discovering abuse against the innocents of the worlds.

  Alex finished.

 

 

  Terese wanted to scream and shout, but she held herself in check. This would be a prickly problem for the Harakens, and she knew it.

  On the expansive, covered porch of Maria’s rock-walled home, Alex paced its width. He realized that if they released Stratford and Billings to the New Terrans, without a successful test, they might discover later that the biochemists’ counteragents were useless, only partially successful, or created dangerous side effects. But to test it on New Terran children without the government’s permission was to drive a deeper wedge between their two people, if they were discovered.

 

  Terese replied, a smile lighting her face. Alex’s decision wasn’t the politically correct one, but it was the one that demonstrated why she loved the man.

  Maria served chilled thé to her guests, placing Alex’s glass beside his chair, since he was still pacing.

  Renée sent.

  Alex paused beside his chair, noticing the condensate-covered crystal with its delicately colored liquid for the first time. He picked it up and drained its contents and then watched Renée replace it with hers. Alex winked at her and settled into his porch chair, drinking deeply from the second glass.

  “Good news … Terese’s antidote, if you will, is ready. Terrible news … Toyo has an orphanage where he tested Stratford’s drugs. The children are either still there in dire condition or dead.>

  Before everyone’s indignation boiled out, Alex held up his hands. “Terese and I are angry enough for everyone. We need cool heads on this.”

  “Alex, you can’t be thinking of going in there and testing your creation on the children without authorization,” Maria said. “It would destroy whatever credibility you have left with this world.”

  “Agreed, Maria,” Alex replied, “but we have to know Terese’s concoction works before we turn Stratford and Billings over to the authorities. If we alert the government to the orphanage, the children will be taken into medical care and will become wards of the state. Counselor Bernoulli comms me daily for an update. She wants to know when we’ll turn over the biochemists to her for prosecution. To my annoyance, she never asks after Terese’s progress. As far as New Terra is concerned the addicted children are our problem and ours alone.”

  “Then what you need is a proper front,” Maria said, smiling.

  “My thoughts exactly,” Alex said, smiling back. “Maria, how much to hire your services to investigate a curious anomaly at an orphanage?”

  “For children … nothing, but to keep it official, client privileges and all, one credit should do nicely, Alex,” Maria said, hoisting her chilled thé to Alex.

  “Consider it paid,” Alex replied, raising his glass in return.

  -38-

  A traveler landed in a vacant lot a few hundred meters away from the Embracing Arms Orphanage. The investigators, Steve Ross, Sarah Laurent, and Fredericka Olsen, led the exit, and Maria Gonzalez followed them. Étienne and Alain came next and were there to protect Terese, Cordelia, and Billings. A minimum of Harakens were present to offer a credible front to the concept of a New Terran client investigation.

  In the quiet of the morning hours, the group made their way to the home. It was surrounded by a tall, decorative, wood fence, undoubtedly to keep the children inside.

  Maria pressed the comm unit at the wide, double gates, and, within moments, an image of an older, gray-haired man appeared in the display.

  “Ah … President Gonzalez,” the man said. “We were expecting someone, but certainly not anyone as important as you. Please come in.”

  As the gates swung open, Maria glanced at her investigators, who quickly stowed their stun guns out of sight. The cordial reception was certainly unexpected. The home’s front door swung open as the group approached, and a woman joined the elderly man on the wide veranda.

  “Welcome, President Gonzalez. I’m Orlando Ortiz, and this is my wife, Consuela. Please, come in. We’ve been anxiously awaiting a visit from the authorities.”

  In the home’s generous foyer, the group arrayed themselves in front of Orlando and Consuela, who were smiling, despite their obvious nervousness.

  “I must tell you,” Maria said, “that we do not represent the authorities. We are here on a private matter. Information from a client led us to believe that there may be children here, suffering from taking a dangerous drug.”

  “Taking a drug?” Consuela said indignantly, her nervousness disappearing as her cheeks flushed red. “The drugs were forced on them by Peto Toyo’s people.” Consuela spit on the floor to emphasize her disgust at mentioning Toyo’s name.

  Alain sent to Étienne.

  “Are the children still here?” Terese asked.

  Orlando eyed Terese suspiciously. “Haraken?” he asked. When Terese nodded to him, he said, “What do you want with the children?”

  “To cure them,” Terese said, holding up her med-kit.

  Consuela grabbed her husband’s arm, imploring him with her eyes.

  “You have something that works?” Orlando asked.

  “I wish I could say that,” Terese replied. “This is Emile Billings, a prominent biochemist, who worked to create this compound. It will block the children’s addictive cravings.”

  “So what you’re saying is that you want to test it on the children,” Orlando qualified.

  “Yes,” Terese admitted.

  “If I might comment, Mr. Ortiz, it’s awfully quiet in here for the size of your home,” Steve said.

  “Yes,” Orlando replied, smiling. “When word reached us that Toyo was dead, his people grabbed their rotten brats and ran. My wife and I started this orphanage more than three decades ago. We’ve helped a great many children find a stable life with new parents or growing up here. Then Peto Toyo walks in here one day with his people and a disreputable group of teenagers and tells us he bought the place from us for one credit.”

  “There wasn’t much we could do,” Consuela added. “A few months later, a man like this one,” she said, pointing to Billings, “came in here and said he had to inoculate the children.”

  “Stratford,” said Terese, her own disgust evident.

  “He never said his name,” Orlando added. “Soon after he gave the children the injections, their bodies twitched and their faces went dreamy. The m
an watched them for an hour and then gave them something to put them to sleep.”

  “We were told to keep them asleep and the man gave us a supply of medicine, but it will run out in a few more days,” Consuela said.

  “The mixture Ser Lechaux has is untested,” Maria said. “But I have worked with the Harakens for many years, and their technology is vastly superior to ours. She is the Harakens’ premier medical expert. If she believes she has an antidote to the addictive nature of the injection the children have been given, then I believe it’s a risk worth taking. Otherwise, we must contact medical authorities and have the children removed to hospitals.” What Maria didn’t say was that there was every possibility that Counselor Bernoulli might prefer charges against the couple.

  Consuela gripped her husband’s arm again. “Orlando, I want to try it. I don’t believe the Harakens would do anything to deliberately hurt the children.” When Orlando nodded to her, she kissed his cheek fervently.

  Sarah leaned over and whispered in Maria’s ear, and the ex-president smiled at her.

  “There is an opportunity to protect all of us from possible judicial headaches,” Maria announced. “I think you should hire my company to help you solve the problem foisted on you by Peto Toyo.”

  “How much would that cost?” asked Orlando, his suspicions foremost again.

  “One credit, Mr. Ortiz,” Maria replied. She pulled out her reader, tapped on it several times, and handed it to Orlando. “Standard client agreement at the price of one credit. I need both of you to agree.”

  Orlando was perusing the document, when Consuela pulled the reader from his hands, signed off on the document, and handed it back. Her eyes dared her husband to object.

  Fredericka and Sarah hid their smiles, as Orlando quickly added his signature.

  “Now, after reviewing your situation,” Maria declared officiously, “I choose to hire the Harakens to attend medically to your children, and you will need to pay for their services.”

  “Aha,” Orlando said, believing he had discovered the ruse that was being perpetrated on them, “and just how much would that cost?”